Fan Pier Developments | Seaport

[briv]

Just a question: to those who object to the Park Square building, have you been inside of the building?

It has a long public arcade cutting through the building with tiny shops (15' deep) on either side for the entire length, and a nice ornate turn of the century interior.
And the piece-de-resistance, finally some subtle architectural genius in this town: the arcade is not perfectly straight, it bends in the middle at the major lobby and each of the wings are off by about one degree; therefore when you walk the length of it you have a much more dynamic view of the depth. Try it sometime, enter at the Arlington end... you'll see it most obviously in the ornate hanging light fixtures that seem to curve away hinting at something down the other end of the building. Much more interesting than a dead straight hallway...

Ive been to the ballroom. I did not notice any shops

The Park Square Building is the one with the arcade going through its center. The Park Plaza Hotel is directly across the street. Its ground level contains many shops and restaurants.

Park Plaza Hotel:

Park Square Building:

Here are a few shots of the Park Sq Buildings interior arcade:

Architecturally and urbanistically, either one of these buildings is infinitely superior to anything in the Seaport, IMO.

 

[Boston02124]

I've alway liked this building,It looks like the rear of the building was built as an addition,too bad they did'nt go taller for an art deco look from the front or a FlatIron look from the back,still one of my favorite's!

 

[kennedy]

Anyone noticed that the large majority of restaurants around the Park Plaza are the upscale, chain restaurants seen in all those upscale suburban malls? Maggianos, P.F. Chang's, etc.

Then notice how these are the same restaurants that seem to be headed to the Seaport? Morton's, Legal, etc.

Is it purely due to the large presence of business travelers around the Park Plaza/Four Seasons and the BCEC? National restaurants appropriate for corporate meetings, familiar to everyone who visits but tasteful enough not to be bland?

 

[czsz]

I believe the State Transportation Building, where a lot of those chains are housed, pursued a deliberate strategy of wooing them (though for what purpose, I'm not sure).

I'm less worried about the Seaport in this respect. The Legal empire there is strange and reduplicative, but it's local. I actually don't think corporate business travelers would be all that into national chains, anyway. Something quick and easy, sure - but something that also gives them something of Boston to taste, and something they can splurge on with their expense accounts.

 

[Padre Mike]

I've alway liked this building,It looks like the rear of the building was built as an addition,too bad they did'nt go taller for an art deco look from the front or a FlatIron look from the back,still one of my favorite's!

This building replaced the location of the Park Sq. train station and its shape and the Park Sq. Building behind it reflect the foot print of the station and the tracks behind it going west. It was an early "mixed use" building, purposely designed to be split between office space at the bow and the hotel at the stern, thus the difference in architectural details. Height was of course determined by draconian restrictions in place through the 1950's. I remember the radio station that was located at the bow right on street level. It was fun to watch the announcers and hear the broadcast from the sidewalk. Of course Park Sq. was much different then....declining terribly...the Teddy Bear Club, Boston's own Playboy Club, lots of bars, some theatres, and the Trailways bus terminal where the Transportation building now sits. The Motormart building, America's first multistory garage was also there. All the while Lincoln and the freed slave looked on.

 

[Suffolk 83]

I worked in both those buildings. They redid the upper floors of Park Sq and drywalled over the marble walls and ornamentals.

The business part of the Park Plaza has some confusing maze like hallways that are pretty cool.

 

[Boston02124]

This building replaced the location of the Park Sq. train station and its shape and the Park Sq. Building behind it reflect the foot print of the station and the tracks behind it going west. It was an early "mixed use" building, purposely designed to be split between office space at the bow and the hotel at the stern, thus the difference in architectural details. Height was of course determined by draconian restrictions in place through the 1950's. I remember the radio station that was located at the bow right on street level. It was fun to watch the announcers and hear the broadcast from the sidewalk. Of course Park Sq. was much different then....declining terribly...the Teddy Bear Club, Boston's own Playboy Club, lots of bars, some theatres, and the Trailways bus terminal where the Transportation building now sits. The Motormart building, America's first multistory garage was also there. All the while Lincoln and the freed slave looked on.

^^Thanks I luv hearing peoples personal history of old Boston!

 

[Sicilian]

As for high-tech cycling colored LED's on buildings, we're seeing lots of that around town, and I think the gee-whiz factor will be pass? in a decade or two. I've noticed a few hotels already incorporating them, notably on the W awning (which actually seems to relate to the awning) as well as the Westin BCEC's crown, visible from Fan Pier.

Unless colored lights are meaningful in terms of the building's architecture (such as on the old Hancock tower), IMHO they should be used sparingly if at all.

One person's opinion, not an architect. But I do appreciate a certain simplicity in design. The W (tower, minus cycling LED's) looked great last night.

 

[commuter guy]

Anyone noticed that the large majority of restaurants around the Park Plaza are the upscale, chain restaurants seen in all those upscale suburban malls? Maggianos, P.F. Chang's, etc.

Then notice how these are the same restaurants that seem to be headed to the Seaport? Morton's, Legal, etc.

Is it purely due to the large presence of business travelers around the Park Plaza/Four Seasons and the BCEC? National restaurants appropriate for corporate meetings, familiar to everyone who visits but tasteful enough not to be bland?

The chains have always been in the transportation building for as long as I can remember and they further populated the area when the the Motor Mart Garage was renovated.

 

[Ron Newman]

As for high-tech cycling colored LED's on buildings, we're seeing lots of that around town

Starting, I think, with Emerson College's Tufte Performance & Production Center, which is hidden away in an alley next to the Majestic Theatre.

 

[dirtywater]

Unfortunately the Tufte Performance & Production Center hasn't been lit for quite some time now. Does anybody know why?

 

[jass]

This is the update you have all been waiting for. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Boston's newest park (and sidewalk and 3 new streets)

Im just going to post my thoughts here: I like how it turned out. I think this will be a destination, more so than the greenway, and will look great when the other buildings are built. There aren't that many parks that view the ocean like this, and people love the ocean (and boats)

There was a group of senior citizens walking by and they were talking about how lovely it was. Another couple was talking about how nice it was to walk by the sea.

 

[czsz]

Wow...never have I seen this area look so good. Is lighting everything?

My heart skipped a beat when I read "Vivien...Harborway". Glad I went back and saw there wasn't a "Li" in between.

 

[jass]

Some more, taken 3 hours or so later

Lobby

Bonus pictures:
Why is this red? Whats the MPA?

The BRA has street parking spacing? They charge twice as much as Boston, and run them much longer (and sundays). Not necessarily a bad thing. Also, the other meters on the street were massport ones, so good luck finding another bra one if this one is broken.

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

I must say that it does look very nice. It gives me hope yet.

 

[KentXie]

The building looks good but the area around it looks like a ghost town.

 

[atlantaden]

Nice pics jass, thanks! Boardwalk extension of the Harborwalk looks real nice though I'd like to see lots of benches planted along the way!

 

[palindrome]

Wow...never have I seen this area look so good. Is lighting everything?

My heart skipped a beat when I read "Vivien...Harborway". Glad I went back and saw there wasn't a "Li" in between.

haha i did the exact same thing.

The area does look much better than i would have thought. I think the park will work nicely once enclosed by the other FP buildings. Any idea when that little clothing store is going to be built (or more likely, placed...?)

 

[kennedy]

My oh my. Looks like it could be great. Looks like a Richard Meier-esque architect could come in and have a field day filling in the rest of the space, Getty Center style. I agree that the Harborwalk could use some benches, and I sure hope they have plenty of street/walk lighting so this can be used at night. The steps we were all complaining about were just to adjust the grade, apparently, so the joke is on us. Definitely could see public concerts going on here. So the top 90% sucks, but still, I can't wait until the rest is filled in, hopefully they'll have an even higher quality of design and streetscape interaction.

Oh, jass, thanks a lot for the pictures. Excellent set.

 

[AmericanFolkLegend]

Great pics Jass!

Why is this red? Whats the MPA?

MPA is Massachusetts Port Authority. They own alot of the land down there and for some reason they have jurisdiction over some of the streets.

Interesting tidbit: Massport has maintained ownership over its parcels in the area and entered into longterm leases with the developers rather than outright sale. The reason: proceeds from sold land go to the State's General Fund. Lease revenue stays with Massport.